Footwear with built-in intrinsic midsole

ABSTRACT

Footwear with enhanced wearing comfortability, stability and orthotic foot support are disclosed. The footwear comprises built-in intrinsic midsole, anatomically shaped footbed having a functional arch concavity on a medial side, and deep heel cup. The built-in intrinsic midsole provides ideal foot support and function. Raised sidewalls accentuate a deep heel cup, which controls and matches the natural anatomic shape of the foot. The midsole is made by direct single density injection with integrated orthotic contour. The direct injection midsole to upper creates a strong bond, and resolves a potential of delaminating soles. Furthermore, it eliminates the need and cost of cementing, and improves instant fit/comfort.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure is generally related to footwear products. The disclosure has particular utility in connection with performance walking shoes, and will be described in connection with such utility, although often utilities are contemplated.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Growing awareness about healthy and active lifestyles, rising demand for comfortable footwear, increased demand for innovative design and technology, growing population, and rising disposable income levels all contribute to a steady increase in the size of the footwear market.

Innovations have been made to push the boundary for wearing comfort, fit, finish, controls and/or stability of footwear products. U.S. Patent application 2011/0000102 discloses a customisable insert consisting of an integrated insole and midsole customised to match the internal profile of an item of footwear. U.S. Patent application 2014/0250727 discloses a layered composition comprising three or more layers suitable for combined midsole/insole production. The combined midsole/insole is cut from a layered composition having a strobel layer, a cushioning layer, and a textile layer, all of which are needle-punched or laminated together to form the layered composition. U.S. Pat. No. 7,010,869 discloses footwear with an insertable midsole orthotic. The shoe sole includes a concavely rounded side or underneath portion, which may be formed in part by the insertable midsole orthotic. The insertable midsole orthotic permits replacement of midsole material which has degraded or has worn out in order to maintain optimal characteristics of the shoe sole and allows customization for the individual wearer to provide tailored cushioning or support characteristics for the purpose of orthopedic, podiatric, corrective, prescriptive, therapeutic and/or prosthetic purposes.

It would be desirable to provide footwear with orthotic structure support for enhanced wearing comfortability, stability and foot support.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide footwear with enhanced wearing comfortability, stability and orthotic foot support. The footwear comprises built-in intrinsic midsole, anatomically shaped footbed with a functional arch concavity on the medial side, and a deep heel cup. The built-in intrinsic midsole provides ideal foot support and function, allowing the foot to arch and collapse during walking and running, in a natural manner. Raised sidewalls accentuate the deep heel cup, which controls and matches the natural anatomic shape of the foot.

In one embodiment, the midsole comprises a dual density midsole made by direct compression co-molding and combining the outsole, with an integrated orthotic contour such as the Vionic® Orthaheel Lisa orthotic thong sandal available from Vionic Group LLC, the assignee of the subject application, but having a functional arch concavity on the medial side, and a deep heel cup as described hereafter. Optionally, the midsole also may include 1^(st) ray relief such as found in the Vionic Orthoheel Active orthotic insole also available from Vionic Group LLC. Direct injection molding of the midsole to the outsole creates a strong bond, and resolves any potential issue with delaminating soles. Furthermore, it eliminates the need and cost of cementing, and improves instant fit/comfort. Alternatively, the midsole may be dual density compression molded, with similar results.

In another embodiment, the unibody midsole comprises an outsole for protection/traction and a midsole for shock absorption that incorporates an orthotic contour and a functional arch concavity on the medial side, and a deep heel cup for relief and foot support. The unibody midsole eliminates the need for a separate orthotic insole into footwear and thus avoids any potential relative movement between the insole insert and the footwear when a user is at aggressive movement. The unibody midsole integrates components into one dynamic form. The biomechanically and anatomically shaped foot bed with a functional arch concavity on the medial side facilitates a more efficient gait.

In yet another embodiment, the unibody midsole orients the user closer to the ground surface. The midsole further comprises functional arch concavity on the medial side, which promotes biomechanical function and comfort for a user, allowing the foot to arch and collapse during walking and running in a natural manner.

In yet another embodiment, the footwear has one-piece upper overlay construction with a relaxed toe box, and minimal lining. The midfoot and heel counter are reinforced to maintain integrity of the footwear. The one-piece upper combines polyurethane (PU) overlay(s) with woven/mesh construction for enhanced breathability when worn by a user.

Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present disclosure, and be protected by the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a midsole with intrinsic orthotic in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a prospective view of an anatomic footbed matches natural contours in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3A is a section view comparison between a shoe with a traditional midsole and FIG. 3B an orthotic insert and a shoe with a unibody midsole incorporating intrinsic orthotic, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a traditional shoe in accordance with prior art.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a shoe with unibody midsole, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a shoe with unibody midsole, in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of a unibody midsole in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a method for making a unibody midsole in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view of a traditional midsole in accordance with prior art.

FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view of a traditional midsole with orthotic device in accordance with prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, for the purpose of explanation, specific details are set forth in order to provide understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may be implemented without some of these details. The embodiments of the present invention described below may be incorporated into a number of different means, components, apparatus, circuits and devices. Structures and devices shown in diagram are illustrative of exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Connections between components may be modified, re-formatted via intermediary components. When the specification makes reference to “one embodiment” or to “an embodiment”, it is intended to mean that a particular feature, structure, characteristic, or function described in connection with the embodiment being discussed is included in at least one contemplated embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearance of the phrase, “in one embodiment” in different places in the specification does not constitute a plurality of references to a single embodiment of the present invention.

Various embodiments of the invention are related to a unibody midsole for walking shoes with enhanced wearing comfortability, stability and orthotic foot support. The built-in intrinsic midsole provides ideal foot support and function. Raised sidewalls on the midsole accentuate a deep heel cup, which controls and matches the natural anatomic shape of the foot. The midsole may integrate anatomically shaped footbed, a functional arch concavity on the medial side, and deep heel cup.

FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view of a traditional midsole in accordance with prior art. The traditional shoe midsole construction utilizes a midsole 100 with essentially a flat top surface, which provides little support to the foot and may cause foot arch fatigue after long time wearing. FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view of a traditional midsole with orthotic device in accordance with prior art. The traditional shoe midsole 110 is retrofitted with supportive orthotic device 111, which may be constructed as an insertable insole. The orthotic retrofitted midsole remains flat at the heel portion, and therefore does not match the natural anatomic shape of a foot.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a midsole with intrinsic orthotic in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 shows a prospective view of an anatomic footbed matches natural contours in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The midsole 120 is a unibody piece with intrinsic orthotic 122 for ideal foot support and function. Raised sidewalls 123 accentuate a deep heel cup 121, which controls and matches the natural anatomic shape of the foot. Midsole 120 has a foot supporting upper surface contour at 125 to provide a functional arch concavity on the medial side, which allows the foot arch to collapse during walking and running, in a natural manner. The unibody structure also avoids any potential sheer movement between the shoe midsole 110 and the supportive orthotic device 111 for traditional shoes, especially when a wearer is having aggressive movement. As shown in FIG. 2, the midsole may also have an optional perforated foam layer to increase air flow and moisture wicking.

The midsole may be made from TPU (Thermoplastic polyurethane), PU (polyethylene), EVA (Ethylene-vinyl acetate) or other materials. In one embodiment, the unibody midsole is constructed with a single density midsole for a simplified manufacturing process. In another embodiment, the unibody midsole is constructed with a dual density midsole with different density combinations for proper function, stability, and comfort.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are section view comparisons between a shoe with a traditional midsole and an orthotic insert (FIG. 3A) and a shoe with a unibody midsole incorporating an intrinsic orthotic and functional arch components on the medial side, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure (FIG. 3B). For the shoe 310 shown FIG. 3A, an orthotic is retrofitted to a midsole to provide support and function. However, the heel cup area remains flat. The unstable stacking of components brings the wearer higher above ground surface and thus lowers the stability of the wearer. Furthermore, non-matching contours and shapes in the heel are less comfortable for the wearer. In FIG. 3B, the shoe has a unibody midsole incorporating an intrinsic orthotic for an anatomically shaped footbed providing instant fit and comfort and a functional arch concavity 325 on the medial side. Furthermore, the heel cup 121 transitions seamlessly into an heel counter 322, thus providing an improved anatomic fit.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded view of a traditional shoe in accordance with prior art. A traditional shoe typically comprises an upper 410, an insole 420, a midsole 430 and an outsole 440. The insole 420 may incorporate orthotic technology improve support and fit of the shoe. The multi-layer lamination of the traditional shoe structure not only adds manufacturing complexity and cost, but also pushes a user further away from ground surface thus reduces stability of the user due to raised position. Multi-layer structure may also cause de-lamination between the layers after long term wearing and thus adversely affect the reliability of the shoe. Furthermore, gaps between the insole and the midsole may be prone to germ or bacterial growth, especially when the shoe is used in high humidity regions.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a shoe with an unibody midsole, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. As a comparison to FIG. 4, the shoe in FIG. 5 only comprises an upper 510 and a unibody midsole 520. The midsole may be constructed into a dynamic form with an orthotic biomechanic and anatomical engineered footbed. Fewer components also simplify manufacturing process, eliminate de-lamination issues and cause less waste. In some embodiments, the unibody midsole 520 has a medial contour 522 (or a contoured arch) higher than the heel cup 523 and the front contour 524 (or the rest of the footbed). The higher medial contour 522, however, is concave under the medial arch, whereby to accentuates a functional arch, and thus provide better structure support for a user's foot, and yet permit the foot arch to collapse during walking and running, in a natural manner.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a shoe with an unibody midsole, in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure. The shoe 600 comprises an unibody midsole 610, an upper 620 and an optional molded strobel sock 630. The midsole 610 incorporates a deep or concaved heel cup 611 and a contoured arch support 612 including a functional arch concavity on the medial side, to form an orthotic biomechanic and anatomical engineered footbed 615. In a preferred embodiment the module 610 also includes an area 640 of reduced support positioned to underlie the first metatarsal head of the wearer. Area 640 may comprise an area of reduced durometer, or a hollow or concavity, e.g., in accordance with the teaching of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,597,195 and 8,166,674, and U.S. Design Pat. No. D723,256, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The heel cup 611 transitions seamlessly into a heel counter 621 of the upper 620, thus providing an improved anatomic fit. In some embodiments, the midsole 610 comprises a raised sidewall 613 fully around the footbed 615. The sidewall 613 forms a closed contour. The sidewall 613 not only helps accentuate the heel cup, but also facilitates the sealing of the upper to the midsole. The upper is a one-piece design. In some embodiments, the upper is a breathable mesh upper for enhanced wearing comfort. In some embodiments, the molded strobel sock 630 is made with perforated memory foam layer for additional cushioning, air flow and moisture wicking. The strobel sock 630 is preferably made with a surface contour 631 fully matched the footbed 615 for maximum fit.

FIG. 7 is a bottom surface of a unibody midsole in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The midsole 700 incorporates a medial concavity 710 on the bottom surface 705 to allow localized functionality. The bottom surface 705 has a plurality of grooves 720 to allow deformation of the midsole during wearing movement. The grooves 720 may be straight line grooves, crossed groves, or grooves with other patterns. At least one insert 740 is attached to the bottom surface to enhance friction stability, shock absorption and wear against ground surface. In some embodiments, the insert is a carbon rubber or a blown rubber. The midsole 700 may also incorporate tuned heel pitch and transitional contour on the bottom surface 705 to support additional functionalities. In some embodiments, the midsole 700 has reinforcement 715 on the bottom surface 705 and beneath the contoured arch support 612 for increased lateral torsional support.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a method for making an unibody midsole in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The method begins at step 810 by provide a unibody midsole with an anatomically shaped footbed integrated orthotic contour having a functional arch concavity on the medial side, and deep heel cup. At step 820, a molded strobel sock is optionally attached to the footbed of the midsole. At step 830, the midsole is directly injected or bonded to a one-piece upper to create a strong bond. In some embodiments, inset panels are attached to the bottom surface of the midsole for added flexibility, friction stability and shock absorption. It shall be noted that the above steps are performed under specific conditions using a specific embodiment or embodiments. Accordingly, neither these steps nor their results shall be used to limit the scope of the disclosure. Furthermore, it shall be noted that the method for making an unibody midsole may be implemented by performing certain steps optionally, extra steps beyond the illustration of FIG. 8, performing certain steps in different orders, and/or performing certain steps concurrently. [33] It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure, particularly, any “preferred” embodiments, are merely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) of the disclosure without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and the present disclosure and protected by the following claims. 

1. A unibody midsole for enhanced wearing comfortability and orthotic foot support, the unibody midsole comprising: an anatomically shaped footbed integrated with a concaved heel cup and a contoured arch support having a functional arch concavity on a medial side; a raised sidewall fully around the footbed; and a bottom surface comprising a plurality of grooves.
 2. The unibody midsole of claim 1 wherein the midsole is made with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyethylene (PU), or Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA).
 3. The unibody midsole of claim 1 wherein the unibody midsole is constructed as a single density midsole.
 4. The unibody midsole of claim 1 wherein the unibody midsole is constructed as a dual density midsole.
 5. The unibody midsole of claim 1 wherein the contoured arch support is higher than the heel cup.
 6. The unibody midsole of claim 1, further comprising 1^(st) ray relief.
 7. A footwear with integrated orthotic foot support, the footwear comprising: an upper comprising a heel contour; a unibody midsole directly injected to the upper, the midsole having an anatomically shaped footbed integrating a concaved heel cup and a contoured arch support having a functional arch concavity on a medial side.
 8. The footwear of claim 7 wherein the midsole is made with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyethylene (PU), or Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA).
 9. The footwear of claim 7 wherein the unibody midsole further comprises a raised sidewall as a closed contour.
 10. The footwear of claim 7 wherein the contoured arch support is higher than the heel cup.
 11. The footwear of claim 7 wherein the heel cup transitions seamlessly into the heel counter.
 12. The footwear of claim 7 wherein the footwear further comprises a strobel sock having a surface contour substantially matched the footbed.
 13. The footwear of claim 12 wherein the molded strobel sock is made with perforated memory foam layer.
 14. The footwear of claim 7 wherein the unibody midsole has a bottom surface comprising a plurality of grooves.
 15. The footwear of claim 14 further comprising at least one insert attached on the bottom surface.
 16. The footwear of claim 15 wherein the at least one insert is a carbon rubber or a blown rubber.
 17. The footwear of claim 14 wherein the unibody midsole has a medial concavity on the bottom surface.
 18. The footwear of claim 14 wherein the midsole has reinforcement on the bottom surface and beneath the contoured arch support for increased lateral torsional support.
 19. The footwear of claim 7, wherein the midsole includes 1^(st) ray relief.
 20. A method for making a footwear with orthotic foot support comprising: providing a unibody midsole with an anatomically shaped footbed, the footbed integrating an orthotic arch support having a functional arch concavity on a medial side, and deep heel cup; and directly bonding the midsole to a one-piece upper.
 21. The method of claim 20 further comprising attaching a molded strobel sock on the footbed of the midsole, the strobel sock being a perforated memory foam layer.
 22. The method of claim 20 wherein the unibody midsole comprises a raised side wall around the footbed to enhance the bonding between the midsole and the upper. 